Getting Prepared....My adventure in 72 hour kits!

Well I live in "earthquake country" so it seems. We haven't really had the "big one" yet, but it's always a possibility and always in the back of my mind. And lately there has been the suggestion to get your things in order and be prepared. Not just for an earthquake, but for any unforeseen emergency or disaster. I have been preparing for years it seems and I think I will still be preparing for years to come! The Storm Sandy and it's aftermath has gotten me thinking about whether my family is ready for a serious emergency/disaster and whether we are self-reliant. I don't want to be waiting for FEMA for a month to get me what I need to survive. So I will do my best to gather and store what I will need in an emergency. So here is an update on my attempt at being "ready". I made 72 hr kits for each of my family members in 2005, this is the year my 7 year old was born. The clothes I had for her were 3 sizes too small (would have done no good in an emergency!), my middle daughter's clothes were size 24 months, (she is 5 years old, also not going to work!), I hadn't even made one for my almost 2 year old son yet. The crackers and food I had in there were stale and nasty. The mice got into 3 of the 4 packs and they were a total loss! My daughter opens up her's and says "Mom, there are crumbs and chew marks in my bag!" Word to the wise...get backpacks that zip all the way closed. I got some backpacks that I could fit lots more stuff into because they cinched down with a draw string and then the flap closed over the hole...not a good choice! The mice can get in. Also word to the wise...don't store those type of backpacks in the garage, where mice live! So this was a good thing for me to update because had I not gone through them again, nothing would have fit and we would have been trying to survive away from home with half chewed crumbs and nasty mouse house backpacks! Yuck...nothing grosses me out worse than mice and all their nastiness! So I spent the afternoon getting new clothing, new food and updated 72 hour kits. I will start doing a rotation of taking the food/snacks out for movie night or during general conference to eat and then replace so they don't go stale again. I hate wastefulness! And keeping better track of the clothing inside since I have growing/changing children. I made a pack for my handy hubby to keep in his pick up truck that he drives to work because in the event of an emergency he will most likely be at work and if we do get the "big one" he may not be getting home for a while so I thought it best he keep his with him. Getting prepared can be expensive if you try to buy everything you would need in one purchase. That's why I say I am going to be preparing for years! If I add a little something to my supply every now and then it doesn't seem so bad. So this time I bought garden seeds, the kind that last 4-5 years, longer if you store them in the freezer. So I at least have a garden, I can't live without a garden! As a family we also had an earthquake drill at home and explained to the kids what to do if it happens. I believe in being as self reliant as one can be. I think it relieves a lot of fear and doubt if you know you will have what you need. I can't foretell the future, but I believe we should all store some essentials just in case!

This is an example of the kind of backpack NOT to get! I got it because I could fit so much more stuff in the top because of the drawstring, but it left a big enough opening for mice to invade and it looked okay until I really emptied it out. If I would have just looked at the top I would have closed it back up and said all is well! Make sure if you are new to the preparedness thing...Get backpacks that zip all the way closed! And I think I will still get a big rubbermaid box/container to store them in.